Homecoming
She flew over the cliff towards the sunset. Her leathery wings caught the wind and carried her over the ocean. She spread her claws to feel them resist the air. The wind currents whistled through her ears as she raced faster. A seagull flew across her path. She wasn't paying attention until it was nearly on her, and she was going too fast for either to stop. She didn't fill the impact. The dead bird fell to the water and disappeared between the waves.
It gave her an idea. Folding her wings back, she dove towards the ocean. She entered the water at breakneck speed. The resultant splash shot a geyser nearly 100 feet into the air and sent violent ripples in every direction. She stayed under for nearly thirty minutes. When she finally surfaced, her leathery wings were gone. Her black scaly skin had been replaced by brown human skin. Long platinum hair flowed behind her. Her glowing red eyes had become deep blue. Lilith Divinity Sparda slowly paddled her way back to shore. When she reached solid rock, she pulled herself completely from the water before leaping the entire distance up the cliffside.
Soaking wet and squeaking in leather, Lilith trudged to the motorcycle waiting for her. As if in a trance, she slowly reached for the small card she'd found tied to the handle that morning. She opened it and read it for the fifteenth time that day. " Had to go to work. Sorry I have to miss your eighteenth. See you when I return. Love, Dad". Lilith released it and picked up the helmet. She turned for one final glimpse of the sunset before leaving. She had a long way to go.
*
Finally free of the salt, Lilith turned off the shower. She didn't bother reaching for a towel. She simply flicked off the light and stepped into her room. She listlessly treaded over to the dresser and pulled out her underwear and t-shirt. Rather than endure the effort of putting them on, she slung them across her bed. Her eyes lowered to a statue on the dresser. With only the light of twilight through the window to see with, she picked it up. It was a figure of a genuflecting man carrying a giant hourglass over his shoulder. She could never be sure, but sometimes the hourglass appeared to glow with a shimmering yellow light inside. She literally owned it since the day she was born. Dante told her he'd found it on the job long ago, before she was born, in a castle on a remote island. Though she had constantly asked for details about that particular trip, something in his face always made her back away, as if she had inadvertently reminded him of something precious he'd lost. For one minute she'd feel guilty for having asked the question; the next minute she'd hate herself for not asking it again.
She placed the statue back in it's spot and looked at her reflection. It hit her only then that she was soaking wet. Rather than go back for a towel, she closed her eyes. With her mind, she reached within her soul until she found her spark. She summoned a pinch of its power to raise her body temperature a few degrees. She was dry in a few minutes. She redirected the energy to dry her hair. When she was sure she was done, she gradually reduced her temperature to normal and got dressed. Then she slid onto the bed and cuddled with her pillow to watch the nightfall.
*
Dante aimed for the nearest phantasm and pulled the trigger. The shotgun pellets ripped the thing in half. It dropped the ax, which sliced through another phantasm below it. They kept coming, one after the other. He calmly took them down while taking a few hits. He did not realize that the wraiths had cornered him until the final one shattered.
As the bits rained on him, a hissing above caught his attention. Dante put the shotgun away; he knew exactly what he wanted to do with this one. He waited patiently for the reptilian beast to vault at him. Almost before it did, Dante sidestepped and swung with Alastor. With the final hit, he knocked the beast into the air. Dante whipped out Ebony and Ivory and began shooting it in mid-air. It didn't fall until Dante finished blasting, but it was already dead long before then.
A quick survey assured him nothing else was waiting to ambush him. He sprinted down the corridor. He found the wall he was looking for at a dead end. There was a small hole near the floor. He braced himself and delivered a powerful kick to the weak spot. Half the wall crumbled to the floor. Dante stepped back and covered his nose and mouth. When the dust settled, Dante found a sparkle of light amidst the debris. He reached for it and held it to his face. It was a red gem on a chain. As if something were weighing him down, Dante stuffed it into a pocket and prepared to fight his way back to the outside world.
*
The next day Lilith repeated her demon flight. This time, a few minutes after she lay on her bed to watch the beginning of twilight, she felt a familiar pressure in the back of her head. "Enter!"
Dante slowly opened the door. He slid halfway through as if expecting his daughter to attack. When she didn't, he slid all the way through and closed the door. The dimness and silence actually unnerved him. "Lilith?"
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Yes."
"Then that's all that matters."
Guilt jumped in Dante's throat. "I'm sorry I missed your birthday."
Lilith rolled onto her back. "This is the eighth time consecutively you've missed my birthday. You should be used to it by now." Dante's eyebrows crinkled. It was the closest thing to a flinch he could manage. Lilith picked it up anyway. She turned back towards the window. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
Dante sat on the edge of her bed. "No, it's all right. You have a right to be angry. You mustn't forget that you are part human."
"One quarter." After a painful silence, Lilith asked, "Where did you go?"
"Switzerland."
"What did you find?"
"Just a gem. It's nothing for you to worry about. Where's your mother?"
"Bedroom. Don't worry. I won't listen."
Dante lightly elbowed her in the back. "Are you still having trouble sleeping?"
Lilith hesitated before answering, "Only when you're not here." Dante's silence was the response she preferred. She felt disappointed when he rose to leave. "Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for the motorcycle. It's beautiful."
Again, Dante did not respond with words. He returned to the bed and leaned over her. He kissed her lightly on the temple. She closed her eyes and did not open them until she heard the door close.
*
"What is it with you women?" Dante asked Deanna.
Deanna lifted her head from her pillow. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Everyone wants to go to bed early in the evening."
"I'm just resting because I've been running around all day. If I were human, I'd probably be dead from exhaustion."
"Have you talked to Lilith?"
"No. If it's that important that I know, how is she?"
"Pissed. And sad."
Deanna sat up. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
Dante groaned. "Can we please finish talking about Lilith?"
"She's fine. She's a grown woman."
"How do you know she's fine? When's the last time you talked to her? Did you even discuss this whole business with her?"
Deanna rolled her eyes. "Why don't you talk to her?"
"Because I'm the one who's been looking for the damn gem. I'm the one who does everything for her when she needs something while you're off working. I have to work and take care of her, and my job is life threatening! What have you done the past two years to make up for your own blunders?"
"Does someone have some pent-up aggression here?"
Dante's eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't be a wise ass."
"Sorry. I was just trying to lighten things up. You're so humorless."
Dante's face suddenly relaxed. "At least, when I did take her with me, she really acted like she wasn't there. The look on some of those demon's faces were actually pretty funny when they saw her strapped across my back next to the sword."
Deanna's jaw dropped. "You took her into battle! You never told me that before! What were you thinking!"
"I was just joking! Who's humorless now?"
Deanna slumped over. "Point taken."
"Well, actually, I did it once. After that I let Trish take her until she started school."
Deanna tilted her head. "Trish? Who's Trish?" She sounded suspicious.
"She's..." Dante started. "Nevermind. It's a long story from before you. You wouldn't be interested."
"So, why did you leave Lilith with her?"
"Let's just say she had experience dealing with 'special' children."
"I see... So did you get it?"
"Get what?"
"The gem, stupid!"
Too exhausted to comment on the abrupt change in subject, Dante pulled the gem from his pocket and held it up with the chain. Wide eyed, Deanna got to her knees and crawled to the side of the bed. As she took the gem, Dante let the chain slide from his hand. "You found it," Deanna whispered. "You actually found it." Dante's expression made her frown. "Don't look at me that way. You knew this was coming. You knew you had to deal with this."
"What about Lilith?"
"Like I said, she's grown now."
Dante narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "How can you say that about your own daughter? She doesn't even know what's happening."
"Then tell her!"
"Why don't you tell her? You're the one she's going to hate." As if she didn't already.
Deanna was struck speechless. She tossed the gem across the room. It landed neatly on the bureau. She rolled back to her side of the bed. "I'm sorry. We've both been stupid. Can we please not start another argument?"
Dante sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. "What about me?"
Deanna sighed. "These past eighteen years and nine months were interesting, but my lack of foresight made me come here with you rather than do what had to be done."
"They were going to kill you. You couldn't have done anything else. I can give you two reasons why."
"Which are?"
"You could never save the people of Shangri-La by yourself, and you WOULD have been alone."
"Second?"
"I never would have known about Lilith. On top of that, she would have been raised by a man who despised her because she's my daughter instead of his. Of course, that's completely under the assumption he would have let her live."
"You're right, I guess. So, did you tell her the truth about where you went and why?"
"I told her where, but not all of why."
"We should both talk to her. There's no way we can lie to her and keep her out of this now."
"No. I've decided that when we leave, we're taking her with us. I never lied to her before, and I won't leave her behind."
Deanna nodded. "That's a good idea. Have you at least told her why you've missed her last eight birthdays?"
"Not a chance. She's too upset to understand that I've been looking for that gem for the past eight years, that it has to be found during a specific time of the year, and that time of the year happens to coincide with her birthday."
"I don't believe that's a coincidence. I'm sure there's a purpose behind it all." Dante felt her turn her eyes to him. "In fact, why don't you give up the demon hunting and stay with me in Shangri-La?"
"Not a chance," Dante repeated. "I'm a demon hunter by heart and blood. Lilith is the same."
"We should let her decide."
"She's already chosen."
"How do you know?"
"I'm more in tune with her than you are. Besides, my gut tells me you're getting yourself into something dangerous."
"We will know nothing until we get there, then. If you keep spreading all this negativity, you'll jinx it."
"How long do we have?"
Deanna shrugged. "Two weeks before the portal closes permanently. After that, Shangri-La won't be accessible to this realm for seven millennia."
"Sounds simple enough."
Deanna crawled up behind him and nibbled his ear. "Can we make up now?"
Dante didn't turn around. "What?"
"You heard me." This time she bit him.
*
Arkyle dashed awkwardly towards the dining room where Lineia was having her daily glass of blood. He found her in her usual spot, her feet crossed on the table and her chair leaned back on the rear legs. "What do you want?" she inquired as if he were an obnoxious child she'd failed to kill earlier.
"He found it!" Arkyle bawled. "Dante found the gem!"
"Calm down, you big baby. That was supposed to happen."
Arkyle cautiously approached her. When he was sure she wouldn't snap his body in half, he sat in the chair beside her. "I'm not sure it is wise of you..." Lineia shot him her nastiest look possible with her human face. "I mean," Arkyle corrected himself, "I'm not sure I can handle seeing him again."
"Get over it, Arkyle," she scolded in a fatigued voice. "So he seduced your wife and got her pregnant. I'm surprised you have anything to complain about. You never slept with her yourself. You showed absolutely no interest in her until someone more attractive came along."
Arkyle shifted positions in the chair. "You really thing he's more attractive?"
Lineia propelled the rest of the blood into Arkyle's face. "I swear, you are such a baby. Do you need a diaper change, you dumb bastard?"
"No."
"Good. Now leave me the hell alone and relax. All you have to do is entertain the happy family when they arrive. I'll take care of the rest."
Arkyle bowed and left. If he were a dog, his tail would have been tucked between his legs. Lineia sighed. "Idiot."
*
Lilith's nap never got off the ground. It was so rudely interrupted by the sound of rabid weasels having sex down the hallway. "It sounds more like a cat being strangled," she said to herself. She stretched out to her full length as the thought actually made her laugh. She sat up and hung her legs over the side of the bed. The hourglass on the statue was glowing again. She reached for it and cradled it in her lap. She never told Dante or Deanna what she'd been doing recently. She was afraid even Dante wouldn't understand; that thought alone was the source of many nightmares. Lilith placed a hand over the hourglass and released the thoughts in the back of her mind. An image came into her mind's eye.
Dante was in a dark place. She could not make out any details of the environment. Dante was pointing a gun (she thought it was Ivory, but she couldn't be sure) at a woman familiar to her. She had long blonde hair and was dressed all in black leather. Dante was saying something to her. "You may have my mother's face, but you don't have her fire." The woman's expression was of guilt and pain. Dante may have looked angry, but Lilith sensed he was more hurt than anything. The woman called Dante's name, but he walked away from her without looking back.
Lilith released the statue. Then she caught it before it hit the floor. The sound of Deanna calling Dante's name in a high pitched voice startled her. She placed the statue back on the dresser and shook her hands as if they had be shocked. "Freaks," she mumbled. "It's not fair! She feels fine enough to get her brains fucked out, but she can't bother to have her nails done with me. It's the first time in the past two years she's been home since the dog died. I swear, she is so fickle."
She stood to look through the window. Dante's words in her vision ran through her head.
You may have my mother's face, but you don't have her fire.
In her heart, she knew exactly what Dante's words meant. The woman seemed to bear an uncanny resemblance to her paternal grandmother (not to mention a woman she vaguely remembered from childhood). Dante kept a picture of her on his office desk away from home. Though Lilith had been in there only once since Dante began his quest for the gem, she remembered the picture perfectly. That same day Dante had scolded her for trying to pick up the flaming red sword called Sparda. She had promised to leave it alone if he'd told her how he got it. He didn't, but she kept her promise anyway. Then she remembered how badly she wanted to challenge him to a game of billiards.
The constant banging and moaning down the hall was ultimately too much for her to handle. She ran downstairs, straight for the kitchen. She poured herself some water and strolled into the living room. She didn't turn on anything. She simply sat on the sofa and sipped her water.
About an hour later she heard, "Why aren't you in bed?"
"It's too early to sleep."
"I'm glad someone agrees." Dressed in a bathrobe, Dante sat beside her. She passed him her glass. "Just water?"
"I would give you cocoa, but you know I hate hot drinks."
"Sure, I know."
"Why doesn't Mom ever come to me like this?"
"Because she doesn't know you like I know you. You're more like me. Of course, being separated for two years can ruin it, too."
"You wouldn't have kicked her out if she hadn't killed the dog."
"She might have at least kept in contact if you hadn't tried to kill her."
"Does she hate me for it?"
"That's an unusual question."
"Is it? I've had nightmares about how that day could have ended. They were all different, and they all ended badly."
"Have a bad dream lately?"
"Not in my sleep. I saw something. I guess it was a vision. I don't know."
"What was it?"
"I touched the figurine of the god of time. I saw you pointing a gun at a woman who looked like your mother." Dante froze in the middle of a sip. "Say something," Lilith begged.
"Long ago, before you were born, that woman you saw hired me to stop the Lord of the Underworld from coming to Earth."
"And?"
"She betrayed me."
"Forgive me, but that sounds unreasonable."
"She had deliberately been made in my mother's image to trap me. Rather, it was her body, but not her soul."
"I sort of figured that out on my own. I need to know what's wrong with MY mother, since you won't tell me about yours."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. I know that you got that gem for her, and I know that's why you've been missing my birthdays. I can see right through you."
Dante's eyes almost took on the eerie red glow. "Your mother isn't human."
"And she wants to go home. No surprise here. Just tell me why she came here with you in the first place, and had your baby, if she had no intention of staying."
"I thought I could convince her otherwise. Besides, you were already conceived before she came to Earth."
"What is she, and what is she trying to do?"
"She's from a parallel dimension called Shangri-La. Every 7,000 years it crosses over to Earth for a limited time and is accessible via a temporary portal. She wants to return before it shifts back to its own plane."
"When?"
"In about two weeks."
"And it won't be back for 7,000 years?" Dante nodded. Lilith chuckled sarcastically. "I hate her so much right now."
"Don't say that."
"Why not? Don't you hate her?"
"Excuse me?"
"She played with your emotions for eighteen years. How could you let yourself get attached to her?"
"You! That's how!"
"You should have taken me and run."
"I tried." Dante heard Lilith gasp in the darkness. "My conscience wouldn't let me succeed. I couldn't take care of you alone and fight demons. Even if I could, I could not risk the legions of the Underworld finding out about you, at least before you were able to defend yourself."
"Why would they want me?"
"To kill two birds with one stone. You're Sparda's granddaughter. They would want to kill you if they couldn't corrupt you first. At the same time, it would practically obliterate my morale."
"How's that?"
Dante looked Lilith straight in the eye. "You are my most prized possession."
After a while Lilith responded, "It's a good thing I didn't have anything in my mouth, or I would have swallowed it whole."
"Damn. We're all out of Jolly Ranchers."
"So, what's going on in Shangri-La now?"
"Most of the place is overrun by demons. She wants to return and clean it up."
"She doesn't stand a chance. For all we know, the entire place is infested and a lost cause. The least you could do is blow it up."
"Already tried it."
"Huh?"
"Already tried it, but something got in the way."
"I say you drop her off and leave her there."
Dante made no more comments on the hostility. He was beginning to feel it himself. "She wants you to stay there with her."
"Really?"
"Yeah?"
"No way. I'd rather stay on Earth with you."
"Deanna is the last of her line. Without you, she has no legal claim to the throne."
"Then I suggest she start sucking up to someone else. I'd rather die a thousand deaths than stay there with her. You told me yourself that she had been banished in shame. You're the last of your line, too. It's a no- brainer that your job is more important. Anyway, your job is a lot more interesting."
"You say that now..."
"And I mean it." Lilith stood and began her trek upstairs. "I think I can sleep now. Good night."
"You will let me know if anything goes wrong?"
"I'll scream if I need you."
"Hey, Lilith!" Dante called. Lilith stopped halfway up the stairs. "How about I take you to have you nails done tomorrow?"
Lilith allowed herself to smile. "That would be great. After a cup of Rocky Road, of course."
*
It was the first time Lilith had been to Switzerland. She hated every minute of it. The trio trekked through the numerous hills and forests. Lilith stayed in the lead; she stopped just long enough to get a direction. She still did not smile when they reached their destination. Above them, at last, were castle towers among the trees. Lilith stopped long enough for Dante to reach her.
"Is that the one?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered, "but it might still look like shit from the last time I was there."
"Granted, that's not a lot of time to clean up."
"Hey!" Deanna called behind them. "Can someone give me a hand?"
Dante carefully prodded Lilith on her back. "Don't try it," Lilith said. "We should have left her at the hotel." She continued up the hill. Dante reached out for her arm, but she knew it was coming. She was engulfed in a black glow and disappeared with her gear and weapons among the trees. Dante didn't bother chasing her down.
Lilith stopped right before she impacted the stone wall. She dumped her gear onto the ground, then stepped back to get a good look at the castle. Her trance was interrupted when Deanna spun her around and slapped her across the face.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Deanna screamed at her.
By force of habit, as it had become in recent years before Deanna moved out, Dante stepped between them and moved Lilith away from Deanna. Dante brushed her hair back; he could have done it blindfolded. "Why did you run off like that?"
Lilith's eyes were closed. "She could have climbed the hill herself. Why is she always trying to make me miserable?"
"Don't you think you're being unfair?"
Lilith looked up at him. She knew she was being at least partially unfair. At any moment, her family would be torn apart, and she would be forced to choose between two different lives, though she had already made her choice. At last, she closed her eyes and began to cry.
"Oh, no," Dante said, "don't do that." He didn't really mean it. She didn't obey. For a few moments tears gushed from her eyes. Dante dried her face with the back of a gloved hand.
"What's going on over there?" Deanna asked.
The sound of her mother's voice spawned another crying fit. This time it wasn't water that poured from her eyes. Dante immediately recognized the red liquid that ran down her cheeks. She was crying blood. It was a dire situation. "I can't see," Lilith said through gasps.
Dante put both arms around her and held her to his chest. "Calm down. You have to calm down."
Deanna folded her arms. "What is going on?" she repeated impatiently. She stepped towards them but stopped when Dante extended his hand and shook his head. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked instead.
Dante put his arm back around Lilith. "I think you've done enough."
Deanna's eyes widened. "How dare you?"
"Just give us some space. Please."
Deanna threw her arms up. "Fine. I'll give you all the space you want."
"Deanna! Deanna, wait!"
She didn't listen. She left them there alone, and neither followed her. She wouldn't have gone far.
Lilith pulled herself from Dante's embrace. "I shouldn't have done that."
"You think?" Lilith didn't have the mental energy to be offended. Dante apologized anyway.
"Don't lose sleep over it. Let's get this over with." Lilith sifted through the things she left on the ground. Dante dropped his own things to the ground and did the same. Lilith lifted two swords over her shoulders. "Alastor or Sparda? Which one?"
"You can have Alastor if you let me take Ifrit."
"What! Come on. I want Ifrit."
"Alastor or Ifrit. The choice is yours." Lilith didn't take long to decide. She yielded Sparda's hilt towards Dante. "Thank you," he said as he took it. "Look on the bright side. You get to become the lightning demon."
"Yes, but you know the fire demon is my preference. Not that either of us would need any of this stuff anymore."
"Oh, stop bitching. Despite our spiritual upgrades, we won't go without them any time soon." Dante dumped the guns. "Shotgun, or Ebony and Ivory?"
"Ebony and Ivory." Dante rolled his eyes at her. "Fine. How about I take them now, and we can alternate equipment on a whim?"
"Do you have any idea how disadvantageous that is?"
"Will it stop your complaining? You have more stuff than I do, regardless."
"Whatever. Let's just go."
*
Three hours later, the trio was running down a hallway. Dante was the first to reach the nearest door. He opened it and stepped aside for Deanna and Lilith. As soon as he slammed the door shut, he and Lilith leaned against it. "Is it gone?" Deanna whispered. There was a faint tapping on the other side. After a few seconds, the tapping was replaced by scraping. Lilith wiped sweat from her face with a shaky hand. That thing on the other side of the door had nearly severed her head twice. She was not relieved when the scraping was replaced by total silence.
Dante signaled to Lilith with his head to step away from the door. As soon as she moved to comply, a ton of force blasted the door to pieces. Deanna was knocked to the floor. Lilith and Dante were blown clear across the room. Lilith hit the wall at over 100 miles per hour. The impact completely emptied her lungs and shattered some bones. It also glued her to the wall, which refused to crumble despite the impact. Before gravity could overcome friction, a large wooden stake impaled her to the wall. She coughed up blood before losing consciousness.
Dante nearly went through the wall on the other side of the room. Being considerably stronger than Lilith, he pushed himself to the floor and reached for Sparda. The creature pulled itself into the room on its three oversized claws. One of its large eyes turned towards Dante. Dante strafed until he was between Lilith and the beast. The large eye followed him the entire time. The creature opened its mouth. Dante could see its heart at the back of its throat. It stood still as if waiting for him to make the first move. When he didn't, it roared a challenge. Dante took a wide step forward and thrust Sparda down its throat. The blade extended until it pierced the heart. Black blood spurted in all directions. Dante turned Sparda to the side and yanked it free. The heart ripped in half and plopped onto the floor in a heap of corrosive blood. The monster backed out of the room, but it could not go far. Dante sprayed it with shotgun pellets until it stopped moving. Then he put a shot in each eye, just to be safe.
When Dante turned around, the first thing he saw was Lilith skewered to the wall. He grabbed the stake and yanked it with all his remaining strength. It resisted at first, but it eventually pulled free with a sloppy wet timbre. He tossed the stake aside and caught Lilith as she slid down the wall. She'd left an impact crater roughly shaped like her body. He stretched her out on the floor to carefully probe her for injuries. She winced and awoke when he ran a finger across her ribcage.
"Don't speak," he said to save her the trouble of trying. "Just heal. You're safe for now." He knew she was in bad shape when she obeyed without resistance. With some effort, he could hear her bones pop as she psychically forced them back into their proper places. He dragged himself to where Deanna was sitting. "Are you all right?"
"As well as can be expected. Maybe we should've stayed at home."
Dante mentally noted that she showed no concern over Lilith's condition. "We won't back out now."
"Of course not. That would be a waste."
An hour later they continued on. Deanna led them to the highest point of the castle. Nothing else attacked them, but that actually made them feel uneasy. In a room at the top of the tower, they found exactly what they were looking for. A map of Shangri-La was carved into the floor. Deanna took the gem and inserted it in a groove where Shangri-La's castle would be.
Lilith shivered as the room temperature suddenly dropped. A bright light engulfed the room. They felt the floor disappear. For about a minute they floated in the middle of bright nothingness. Then they plunged into water, and the light died.
Deanna surfaced first. She looked over the beach. It was definitely familiar to her. It was the same beach she had played on as a child. "We did it," she said. "We made it." Without looking around for Dante nor Lilith, she began swimming to shore.
*
Lilith's first thought was, "She's leaving us. She's leaving us out here to drown." She allowed herself to drift for a moment. She was still too tired to fight the currents. Dante seized her from above and pulled her to the surface. Neither spoke as he dragged her to dry land where Deanna waited.
She flew over the cliff towards the sunset. Her leathery wings caught the wind and carried her over the ocean. She spread her claws to feel them resist the air. The wind currents whistled through her ears as she raced faster. A seagull flew across her path. She wasn't paying attention until it was nearly on her, and she was going too fast for either to stop. She didn't fill the impact. The dead bird fell to the water and disappeared between the waves.
It gave her an idea. Folding her wings back, she dove towards the ocean. She entered the water at breakneck speed. The resultant splash shot a geyser nearly 100 feet into the air and sent violent ripples in every direction. She stayed under for nearly thirty minutes. When she finally surfaced, her leathery wings were gone. Her black scaly skin had been replaced by brown human skin. Long platinum hair flowed behind her. Her glowing red eyes had become deep blue. Lilith Divinity Sparda slowly paddled her way back to shore. When she reached solid rock, she pulled herself completely from the water before leaping the entire distance up the cliffside.
Soaking wet and squeaking in leather, Lilith trudged to the motorcycle waiting for her. As if in a trance, she slowly reached for the small card she'd found tied to the handle that morning. She opened it and read it for the fifteenth time that day. " Had to go to work. Sorry I have to miss your eighteenth. See you when I return. Love, Dad". Lilith released it and picked up the helmet. She turned for one final glimpse of the sunset before leaving. She had a long way to go.
*
Finally free of the salt, Lilith turned off the shower. She didn't bother reaching for a towel. She simply flicked off the light and stepped into her room. She listlessly treaded over to the dresser and pulled out her underwear and t-shirt. Rather than endure the effort of putting them on, she slung them across her bed. Her eyes lowered to a statue on the dresser. With only the light of twilight through the window to see with, she picked it up. It was a figure of a genuflecting man carrying a giant hourglass over his shoulder. She could never be sure, but sometimes the hourglass appeared to glow with a shimmering yellow light inside. She literally owned it since the day she was born. Dante told her he'd found it on the job long ago, before she was born, in a castle on a remote island. Though she had constantly asked for details about that particular trip, something in his face always made her back away, as if she had inadvertently reminded him of something precious he'd lost. For one minute she'd feel guilty for having asked the question; the next minute she'd hate herself for not asking it again.
She placed the statue back in it's spot and looked at her reflection. It hit her only then that she was soaking wet. Rather than go back for a towel, she closed her eyes. With her mind, she reached within her soul until she found her spark. She summoned a pinch of its power to raise her body temperature a few degrees. She was dry in a few minutes. She redirected the energy to dry her hair. When she was sure she was done, she gradually reduced her temperature to normal and got dressed. Then she slid onto the bed and cuddled with her pillow to watch the nightfall.
*
Dante aimed for the nearest phantasm and pulled the trigger. The shotgun pellets ripped the thing in half. It dropped the ax, which sliced through another phantasm below it. They kept coming, one after the other. He calmly took them down while taking a few hits. He did not realize that the wraiths had cornered him until the final one shattered.
As the bits rained on him, a hissing above caught his attention. Dante put the shotgun away; he knew exactly what he wanted to do with this one. He waited patiently for the reptilian beast to vault at him. Almost before it did, Dante sidestepped and swung with Alastor. With the final hit, he knocked the beast into the air. Dante whipped out Ebony and Ivory and began shooting it in mid-air. It didn't fall until Dante finished blasting, but it was already dead long before then.
A quick survey assured him nothing else was waiting to ambush him. He sprinted down the corridor. He found the wall he was looking for at a dead end. There was a small hole near the floor. He braced himself and delivered a powerful kick to the weak spot. Half the wall crumbled to the floor. Dante stepped back and covered his nose and mouth. When the dust settled, Dante found a sparkle of light amidst the debris. He reached for it and held it to his face. It was a red gem on a chain. As if something were weighing him down, Dante stuffed it into a pocket and prepared to fight his way back to the outside world.
*
The next day Lilith repeated her demon flight. This time, a few minutes after she lay on her bed to watch the beginning of twilight, she felt a familiar pressure in the back of her head. "Enter!"
Dante slowly opened the door. He slid halfway through as if expecting his daughter to attack. When she didn't, he slid all the way through and closed the door. The dimness and silence actually unnerved him. "Lilith?"
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Yes."
"Then that's all that matters."
Guilt jumped in Dante's throat. "I'm sorry I missed your birthday."
Lilith rolled onto her back. "This is the eighth time consecutively you've missed my birthday. You should be used to it by now." Dante's eyebrows crinkled. It was the closest thing to a flinch he could manage. Lilith picked it up anyway. She turned back towards the window. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
Dante sat on the edge of her bed. "No, it's all right. You have a right to be angry. You mustn't forget that you are part human."
"One quarter." After a painful silence, Lilith asked, "Where did you go?"
"Switzerland."
"What did you find?"
"Just a gem. It's nothing for you to worry about. Where's your mother?"
"Bedroom. Don't worry. I won't listen."
Dante lightly elbowed her in the back. "Are you still having trouble sleeping?"
Lilith hesitated before answering, "Only when you're not here." Dante's silence was the response she preferred. She felt disappointed when he rose to leave. "Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for the motorcycle. It's beautiful."
Again, Dante did not respond with words. He returned to the bed and leaned over her. He kissed her lightly on the temple. She closed her eyes and did not open them until she heard the door close.
*
"What is it with you women?" Dante asked Deanna.
Deanna lifted her head from her pillow. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Everyone wants to go to bed early in the evening."
"I'm just resting because I've been running around all day. If I were human, I'd probably be dead from exhaustion."
"Have you talked to Lilith?"
"No. If it's that important that I know, how is she?"
"Pissed. And sad."
Deanna sat up. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
Dante groaned. "Can we please finish talking about Lilith?"
"She's fine. She's a grown woman."
"How do you know she's fine? When's the last time you talked to her? Did you even discuss this whole business with her?"
Deanna rolled her eyes. "Why don't you talk to her?"
"Because I'm the one who's been looking for the damn gem. I'm the one who does everything for her when she needs something while you're off working. I have to work and take care of her, and my job is life threatening! What have you done the past two years to make up for your own blunders?"
"Does someone have some pent-up aggression here?"
Dante's eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't be a wise ass."
"Sorry. I was just trying to lighten things up. You're so humorless."
Dante's face suddenly relaxed. "At least, when I did take her with me, she really acted like she wasn't there. The look on some of those demon's faces were actually pretty funny when they saw her strapped across my back next to the sword."
Deanna's jaw dropped. "You took her into battle! You never told me that before! What were you thinking!"
"I was just joking! Who's humorless now?"
Deanna slumped over. "Point taken."
"Well, actually, I did it once. After that I let Trish take her until she started school."
Deanna tilted her head. "Trish? Who's Trish?" She sounded suspicious.
"She's..." Dante started. "Nevermind. It's a long story from before you. You wouldn't be interested."
"So, why did you leave Lilith with her?"
"Let's just say she had experience dealing with 'special' children."
"I see... So did you get it?"
"Get what?"
"The gem, stupid!"
Too exhausted to comment on the abrupt change in subject, Dante pulled the gem from his pocket and held it up with the chain. Wide eyed, Deanna got to her knees and crawled to the side of the bed. As she took the gem, Dante let the chain slide from his hand. "You found it," Deanna whispered. "You actually found it." Dante's expression made her frown. "Don't look at me that way. You knew this was coming. You knew you had to deal with this."
"What about Lilith?"
"Like I said, she's grown now."
Dante narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "How can you say that about your own daughter? She doesn't even know what's happening."
"Then tell her!"
"Why don't you tell her? You're the one she's going to hate." As if she didn't already.
Deanna was struck speechless. She tossed the gem across the room. It landed neatly on the bureau. She rolled back to her side of the bed. "I'm sorry. We've both been stupid. Can we please not start another argument?"
Dante sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. "What about me?"
Deanna sighed. "These past eighteen years and nine months were interesting, but my lack of foresight made me come here with you rather than do what had to be done."
"They were going to kill you. You couldn't have done anything else. I can give you two reasons why."
"Which are?"
"You could never save the people of Shangri-La by yourself, and you WOULD have been alone."
"Second?"
"I never would have known about Lilith. On top of that, she would have been raised by a man who despised her because she's my daughter instead of his. Of course, that's completely under the assumption he would have let her live."
"You're right, I guess. So, did you tell her the truth about where you went and why?"
"I told her where, but not all of why."
"We should both talk to her. There's no way we can lie to her and keep her out of this now."
"No. I've decided that when we leave, we're taking her with us. I never lied to her before, and I won't leave her behind."
Deanna nodded. "That's a good idea. Have you at least told her why you've missed her last eight birthdays?"
"Not a chance. She's too upset to understand that I've been looking for that gem for the past eight years, that it has to be found during a specific time of the year, and that time of the year happens to coincide with her birthday."
"I don't believe that's a coincidence. I'm sure there's a purpose behind it all." Dante felt her turn her eyes to him. "In fact, why don't you give up the demon hunting and stay with me in Shangri-La?"
"Not a chance," Dante repeated. "I'm a demon hunter by heart and blood. Lilith is the same."
"We should let her decide."
"She's already chosen."
"How do you know?"
"I'm more in tune with her than you are. Besides, my gut tells me you're getting yourself into something dangerous."
"We will know nothing until we get there, then. If you keep spreading all this negativity, you'll jinx it."
"How long do we have?"
Deanna shrugged. "Two weeks before the portal closes permanently. After that, Shangri-La won't be accessible to this realm for seven millennia."
"Sounds simple enough."
Deanna crawled up behind him and nibbled his ear. "Can we make up now?"
Dante didn't turn around. "What?"
"You heard me." This time she bit him.
*
Arkyle dashed awkwardly towards the dining room where Lineia was having her daily glass of blood. He found her in her usual spot, her feet crossed on the table and her chair leaned back on the rear legs. "What do you want?" she inquired as if he were an obnoxious child she'd failed to kill earlier.
"He found it!" Arkyle bawled. "Dante found the gem!"
"Calm down, you big baby. That was supposed to happen."
Arkyle cautiously approached her. When he was sure she wouldn't snap his body in half, he sat in the chair beside her. "I'm not sure it is wise of you..." Lineia shot him her nastiest look possible with her human face. "I mean," Arkyle corrected himself, "I'm not sure I can handle seeing him again."
"Get over it, Arkyle," she scolded in a fatigued voice. "So he seduced your wife and got her pregnant. I'm surprised you have anything to complain about. You never slept with her yourself. You showed absolutely no interest in her until someone more attractive came along."
Arkyle shifted positions in the chair. "You really thing he's more attractive?"
Lineia propelled the rest of the blood into Arkyle's face. "I swear, you are such a baby. Do you need a diaper change, you dumb bastard?"
"No."
"Good. Now leave me the hell alone and relax. All you have to do is entertain the happy family when they arrive. I'll take care of the rest."
Arkyle bowed and left. If he were a dog, his tail would have been tucked between his legs. Lineia sighed. "Idiot."
*
Lilith's nap never got off the ground. It was so rudely interrupted by the sound of rabid weasels having sex down the hallway. "It sounds more like a cat being strangled," she said to herself. She stretched out to her full length as the thought actually made her laugh. She sat up and hung her legs over the side of the bed. The hourglass on the statue was glowing again. She reached for it and cradled it in her lap. She never told Dante or Deanna what she'd been doing recently. She was afraid even Dante wouldn't understand; that thought alone was the source of many nightmares. Lilith placed a hand over the hourglass and released the thoughts in the back of her mind. An image came into her mind's eye.
Dante was in a dark place. She could not make out any details of the environment. Dante was pointing a gun (she thought it was Ivory, but she couldn't be sure) at a woman familiar to her. She had long blonde hair and was dressed all in black leather. Dante was saying something to her. "You may have my mother's face, but you don't have her fire." The woman's expression was of guilt and pain. Dante may have looked angry, but Lilith sensed he was more hurt than anything. The woman called Dante's name, but he walked away from her without looking back.
Lilith released the statue. Then she caught it before it hit the floor. The sound of Deanna calling Dante's name in a high pitched voice startled her. She placed the statue back on the dresser and shook her hands as if they had be shocked. "Freaks," she mumbled. "It's not fair! She feels fine enough to get her brains fucked out, but she can't bother to have her nails done with me. It's the first time in the past two years she's been home since the dog died. I swear, she is so fickle."
She stood to look through the window. Dante's words in her vision ran through her head.
You may have my mother's face, but you don't have her fire.
In her heart, she knew exactly what Dante's words meant. The woman seemed to bear an uncanny resemblance to her paternal grandmother (not to mention a woman she vaguely remembered from childhood). Dante kept a picture of her on his office desk away from home. Though Lilith had been in there only once since Dante began his quest for the gem, she remembered the picture perfectly. That same day Dante had scolded her for trying to pick up the flaming red sword called Sparda. She had promised to leave it alone if he'd told her how he got it. He didn't, but she kept her promise anyway. Then she remembered how badly she wanted to challenge him to a game of billiards.
The constant banging and moaning down the hall was ultimately too much for her to handle. She ran downstairs, straight for the kitchen. She poured herself some water and strolled into the living room. She didn't turn on anything. She simply sat on the sofa and sipped her water.
About an hour later she heard, "Why aren't you in bed?"
"It's too early to sleep."
"I'm glad someone agrees." Dressed in a bathrobe, Dante sat beside her. She passed him her glass. "Just water?"
"I would give you cocoa, but you know I hate hot drinks."
"Sure, I know."
"Why doesn't Mom ever come to me like this?"
"Because she doesn't know you like I know you. You're more like me. Of course, being separated for two years can ruin it, too."
"You wouldn't have kicked her out if she hadn't killed the dog."
"She might have at least kept in contact if you hadn't tried to kill her."
"Does she hate me for it?"
"That's an unusual question."
"Is it? I've had nightmares about how that day could have ended. They were all different, and they all ended badly."
"Have a bad dream lately?"
"Not in my sleep. I saw something. I guess it was a vision. I don't know."
"What was it?"
"I touched the figurine of the god of time. I saw you pointing a gun at a woman who looked like your mother." Dante froze in the middle of a sip. "Say something," Lilith begged.
"Long ago, before you were born, that woman you saw hired me to stop the Lord of the Underworld from coming to Earth."
"And?"
"She betrayed me."
"Forgive me, but that sounds unreasonable."
"She had deliberately been made in my mother's image to trap me. Rather, it was her body, but not her soul."
"I sort of figured that out on my own. I need to know what's wrong with MY mother, since you won't tell me about yours."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. I know that you got that gem for her, and I know that's why you've been missing my birthdays. I can see right through you."
Dante's eyes almost took on the eerie red glow. "Your mother isn't human."
"And she wants to go home. No surprise here. Just tell me why she came here with you in the first place, and had your baby, if she had no intention of staying."
"I thought I could convince her otherwise. Besides, you were already conceived before she came to Earth."
"What is she, and what is she trying to do?"
"She's from a parallel dimension called Shangri-La. Every 7,000 years it crosses over to Earth for a limited time and is accessible via a temporary portal. She wants to return before it shifts back to its own plane."
"When?"
"In about two weeks."
"And it won't be back for 7,000 years?" Dante nodded. Lilith chuckled sarcastically. "I hate her so much right now."
"Don't say that."
"Why not? Don't you hate her?"
"Excuse me?"
"She played with your emotions for eighteen years. How could you let yourself get attached to her?"
"You! That's how!"
"You should have taken me and run."
"I tried." Dante heard Lilith gasp in the darkness. "My conscience wouldn't let me succeed. I couldn't take care of you alone and fight demons. Even if I could, I could not risk the legions of the Underworld finding out about you, at least before you were able to defend yourself."
"Why would they want me?"
"To kill two birds with one stone. You're Sparda's granddaughter. They would want to kill you if they couldn't corrupt you first. At the same time, it would practically obliterate my morale."
"How's that?"
Dante looked Lilith straight in the eye. "You are my most prized possession."
After a while Lilith responded, "It's a good thing I didn't have anything in my mouth, or I would have swallowed it whole."
"Damn. We're all out of Jolly Ranchers."
"So, what's going on in Shangri-La now?"
"Most of the place is overrun by demons. She wants to return and clean it up."
"She doesn't stand a chance. For all we know, the entire place is infested and a lost cause. The least you could do is blow it up."
"Already tried it."
"Huh?"
"Already tried it, but something got in the way."
"I say you drop her off and leave her there."
Dante made no more comments on the hostility. He was beginning to feel it himself. "She wants you to stay there with her."
"Really?"
"Yeah?"
"No way. I'd rather stay on Earth with you."
"Deanna is the last of her line. Without you, she has no legal claim to the throne."
"Then I suggest she start sucking up to someone else. I'd rather die a thousand deaths than stay there with her. You told me yourself that she had been banished in shame. You're the last of your line, too. It's a no- brainer that your job is more important. Anyway, your job is a lot more interesting."
"You say that now..."
"And I mean it." Lilith stood and began her trek upstairs. "I think I can sleep now. Good night."
"You will let me know if anything goes wrong?"
"I'll scream if I need you."
"Hey, Lilith!" Dante called. Lilith stopped halfway up the stairs. "How about I take you to have you nails done tomorrow?"
Lilith allowed herself to smile. "That would be great. After a cup of Rocky Road, of course."
*
It was the first time Lilith had been to Switzerland. She hated every minute of it. The trio trekked through the numerous hills and forests. Lilith stayed in the lead; she stopped just long enough to get a direction. She still did not smile when they reached their destination. Above them, at last, were castle towers among the trees. Lilith stopped long enough for Dante to reach her.
"Is that the one?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered, "but it might still look like shit from the last time I was there."
"Granted, that's not a lot of time to clean up."
"Hey!" Deanna called behind them. "Can someone give me a hand?"
Dante carefully prodded Lilith on her back. "Don't try it," Lilith said. "We should have left her at the hotel." She continued up the hill. Dante reached out for her arm, but she knew it was coming. She was engulfed in a black glow and disappeared with her gear and weapons among the trees. Dante didn't bother chasing her down.
Lilith stopped right before she impacted the stone wall. She dumped her gear onto the ground, then stepped back to get a good look at the castle. Her trance was interrupted when Deanna spun her around and slapped her across the face.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Deanna screamed at her.
By force of habit, as it had become in recent years before Deanna moved out, Dante stepped between them and moved Lilith away from Deanna. Dante brushed her hair back; he could have done it blindfolded. "Why did you run off like that?"
Lilith's eyes were closed. "She could have climbed the hill herself. Why is she always trying to make me miserable?"
"Don't you think you're being unfair?"
Lilith looked up at him. She knew she was being at least partially unfair. At any moment, her family would be torn apart, and she would be forced to choose between two different lives, though she had already made her choice. At last, she closed her eyes and began to cry.
"Oh, no," Dante said, "don't do that." He didn't really mean it. She didn't obey. For a few moments tears gushed from her eyes. Dante dried her face with the back of a gloved hand.
"What's going on over there?" Deanna asked.
The sound of her mother's voice spawned another crying fit. This time it wasn't water that poured from her eyes. Dante immediately recognized the red liquid that ran down her cheeks. She was crying blood. It was a dire situation. "I can't see," Lilith said through gasps.
Dante put both arms around her and held her to his chest. "Calm down. You have to calm down."
Deanna folded her arms. "What is going on?" she repeated impatiently. She stepped towards them but stopped when Dante extended his hand and shook his head. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked instead.
Dante put his arm back around Lilith. "I think you've done enough."
Deanna's eyes widened. "How dare you?"
"Just give us some space. Please."
Deanna threw her arms up. "Fine. I'll give you all the space you want."
"Deanna! Deanna, wait!"
She didn't listen. She left them there alone, and neither followed her. She wouldn't have gone far.
Lilith pulled herself from Dante's embrace. "I shouldn't have done that."
"You think?" Lilith didn't have the mental energy to be offended. Dante apologized anyway.
"Don't lose sleep over it. Let's get this over with." Lilith sifted through the things she left on the ground. Dante dropped his own things to the ground and did the same. Lilith lifted two swords over her shoulders. "Alastor or Sparda? Which one?"
"You can have Alastor if you let me take Ifrit."
"What! Come on. I want Ifrit."
"Alastor or Ifrit. The choice is yours." Lilith didn't take long to decide. She yielded Sparda's hilt towards Dante. "Thank you," he said as he took it. "Look on the bright side. You get to become the lightning demon."
"Yes, but you know the fire demon is my preference. Not that either of us would need any of this stuff anymore."
"Oh, stop bitching. Despite our spiritual upgrades, we won't go without them any time soon." Dante dumped the guns. "Shotgun, or Ebony and Ivory?"
"Ebony and Ivory." Dante rolled his eyes at her. "Fine. How about I take them now, and we can alternate equipment on a whim?"
"Do you have any idea how disadvantageous that is?"
"Will it stop your complaining? You have more stuff than I do, regardless."
"Whatever. Let's just go."
*
Three hours later, the trio was running down a hallway. Dante was the first to reach the nearest door. He opened it and stepped aside for Deanna and Lilith. As soon as he slammed the door shut, he and Lilith leaned against it. "Is it gone?" Deanna whispered. There was a faint tapping on the other side. After a few seconds, the tapping was replaced by scraping. Lilith wiped sweat from her face with a shaky hand. That thing on the other side of the door had nearly severed her head twice. She was not relieved when the scraping was replaced by total silence.
Dante signaled to Lilith with his head to step away from the door. As soon as she moved to comply, a ton of force blasted the door to pieces. Deanna was knocked to the floor. Lilith and Dante were blown clear across the room. Lilith hit the wall at over 100 miles per hour. The impact completely emptied her lungs and shattered some bones. It also glued her to the wall, which refused to crumble despite the impact. Before gravity could overcome friction, a large wooden stake impaled her to the wall. She coughed up blood before losing consciousness.
Dante nearly went through the wall on the other side of the room. Being considerably stronger than Lilith, he pushed himself to the floor and reached for Sparda. The creature pulled itself into the room on its three oversized claws. One of its large eyes turned towards Dante. Dante strafed until he was between Lilith and the beast. The large eye followed him the entire time. The creature opened its mouth. Dante could see its heart at the back of its throat. It stood still as if waiting for him to make the first move. When he didn't, it roared a challenge. Dante took a wide step forward and thrust Sparda down its throat. The blade extended until it pierced the heart. Black blood spurted in all directions. Dante turned Sparda to the side and yanked it free. The heart ripped in half and plopped onto the floor in a heap of corrosive blood. The monster backed out of the room, but it could not go far. Dante sprayed it with shotgun pellets until it stopped moving. Then he put a shot in each eye, just to be safe.
When Dante turned around, the first thing he saw was Lilith skewered to the wall. He grabbed the stake and yanked it with all his remaining strength. It resisted at first, but it eventually pulled free with a sloppy wet timbre. He tossed the stake aside and caught Lilith as she slid down the wall. She'd left an impact crater roughly shaped like her body. He stretched her out on the floor to carefully probe her for injuries. She winced and awoke when he ran a finger across her ribcage.
"Don't speak," he said to save her the trouble of trying. "Just heal. You're safe for now." He knew she was in bad shape when she obeyed without resistance. With some effort, he could hear her bones pop as she psychically forced them back into their proper places. He dragged himself to where Deanna was sitting. "Are you all right?"
"As well as can be expected. Maybe we should've stayed at home."
Dante mentally noted that she showed no concern over Lilith's condition. "We won't back out now."
"Of course not. That would be a waste."
An hour later they continued on. Deanna led them to the highest point of the castle. Nothing else attacked them, but that actually made them feel uneasy. In a room at the top of the tower, they found exactly what they were looking for. A map of Shangri-La was carved into the floor. Deanna took the gem and inserted it in a groove where Shangri-La's castle would be.
Lilith shivered as the room temperature suddenly dropped. A bright light engulfed the room. They felt the floor disappear. For about a minute they floated in the middle of bright nothingness. Then they plunged into water, and the light died.
Deanna surfaced first. She looked over the beach. It was definitely familiar to her. It was the same beach she had played on as a child. "We did it," she said. "We made it." Without looking around for Dante nor Lilith, she began swimming to shore.
*
Lilith's first thought was, "She's leaving us. She's leaving us out here to drown." She allowed herself to drift for a moment. She was still too tired to fight the currents. Dante seized her from above and pulled her to the surface. Neither spoke as he dragged her to dry land where Deanna waited.